The Lion King II: Simba's Pride 1998 Aired on ABC (October 1999) Part 5
(The next morning, Simba stretches and then descends to the valley floor, where he walks slowly toward the water hole. Kovu is above him, hiding behind a rock; his teeth and claws are bared, ready to strike. Suddenly, Kiara jumps in front of him, from around the front of the rock) * Kiara: Good morning! (laughs) I'm ready for my first lesson. * (Kovu is stunned; he takes several moments to disguise his previous mindset and intentions) * Kiara: (Kiara is jumping around on her paw tips, very frisky) Surprised you, didn't I? * (Kovu turns back toward the water hole; Simba is gone) * Kiara: (laughing) Hey, c'mon! Let's go this way. * (Kovu is yet dumbstruck. After one last glance after his lost opportunity, he turns and follows Kiara) * (Scene switch. Kovu is attempting to teach stealth to Kiara. We hear her saying "Ow" in the underbrush a few times; Kovu is grinning bemusedly to himself) * Kovu: (anticipating the pounce) Three...two... (rolls his eyes) one... (he ducks) * Kiara: Now I've got you! * (Kiara jumps full over Kovu's evasion, and tumbles over on the ground. Kovu steps over to her head, looking down at her) * Kiara: (slightly embarrassed) You could hear me....heh? * Kovu: Only...a lot. You're yet breathing too hard. Relax...feel the earth under your paws.......where it doesn't shift and make noise. (Kiara follows his example. A flock of birds interrupts them, alighting beyond a nearby hill) Shh! Watch the master....and learn. * (Kovu runs silently down into a gully, then up the other side. Jumping over the ridge top, he pounces with claws fully extended right down on top of Timon, who is foraging for bugs there) * Timon: Aahhhh!!!! * (Kovu freezes in position in which he hits the ground, with his mouth open; he skids to a halt with Timon between his forelegs) * Timon: Don't hurt me! Please! I...I...I never really met your tyrant. I mean, uh--Scar. Scar. Oh, heck of a guy. A little moody, but, I... * Kiara: Timon! What are you doing here? * Timon: Kiara! Thank heavens! Ohh! Hey...for once, we're not following you. This just happens to be the best smorgasbord in the Pride Lands. Bugs everywhere! (he indicates the field of bugs, with the flock of birds eating contentedly away) But, you don't call for a reservation, and--yeesh! (turning toward the birds) Get outta here, you scavengers. Go ahead! Shoo! Shoo! * (Timon tries to frighten away the birds; he waves his arm at one unconcerned bird, who bites Timon's nose) * Timon: (in pain, nose glowing red) Oh! Oh! Oh. * (Pumbaa rushes down the hill, and back up, scattering birds, who come back to land right where they were. Kiara watches with amusement, Kovu with bewilderment. Camera switches back to Pumbaa, who is standing with a dozen or so birds sitting on his back) * Pumbaa: Ohh...Timon, I'm getting tired. I gotta lose some pounds! * Timon: (trying to frighten the birds off Pumbaa) Shoo! Go ahead! Shoo! Shoo! * (Kiara and Kovu trot back down the hill, Kiara laughing) * Pumbaa: Hey! Perhaps he can help. Don't you think? * Timon: Shoo! (he manages to frighten the last bird off Pumbaa's tail) Oh! Yeah...there's an idea. Let the vicious Outsider-------hey! Wait! I have an idea! (he jumps down off of Pumbaa) What if he helps? * Pumbaa: What? * Timon: (to Kovu) You wanna lend a voice? What? (not getting through to him) Grrr. Guh...roar! Work with me! * Kiara: Like this. (she roars, scattering the birds) * Timon: Whoo-hoo! C'mon, do it again! Do it again! * (Kovu roars this time, sending the birds into a rout) * Timon: Yee-haw! * (Kiara and Kovu run down the hill, sending birds flying in every direction. Kovu is yet clueless) * Kovu: Why are we doing this? What's the point of this training? * Kiara: (laughing) Training? This is just for fun! * Kovu: (as though he's never heard the word before) Fun? * (Timon and Pumbaa run by; Timon is hanging onto a bird's leg, getting carried up into the air) * Timon: You gotta get out more often. Fun! Yee-haw! Ha ha ha ha...whoo-hoo! * Kovu: (slowly getting the idea) Yee-haw! Yee-haw! * (The group runs down between a row of rocks; it is blocked at the end by a number of rhinos) * Kovu: Yee-haw! * (They notice the rhinos and come skidding to a halt; they notice that the tick birds are all sitting on top of the rhinos' heads) * Kiara: Whoops. * Tick Birds: (blowing raspberry) * (The lions, Timon and Pumbaa turn tail and run back the fashion they came; the rhinos are in hot pursuit) * Timon: (to Pumbaa, as Pumbaa turns a corner using the edge of a small overhang) Hey, rhino! * (The lions turn sideways into a crevice in the rocks, where they hide while the rhinos pass by. They're laughing with delight as the camera trucks in) * Kovu: What a blast! * Pumbaa; Oh...sorry. * Timon: (giving Kovu a noogie) You're alright, child. * Kovu: (to Timon, caught off guard) Hey! * Timon: You're alright. * (Now they try to squeeze out of the crevice. Amid "Excuse me, pardon me" from Timon, Kiara's muzzle brushes up against Kovu's. They look at each other, both quite embarrassed) * Kiara: Um...sorry--uh... * (Timon and Pumbaa have extricated themselves and are some fashion up the pathway) * Timon: Hey! Are you two coming or what? * (The lions walk off, side by side and laughing. Soon purrs mix with their laughter) * (Scene switch; Kiara and Kovu are lying on their backs, watching the clouds and giggling) * Kovu: Did you see that? Look at that! This is really pretty. * Kiara: What? Oh, yes! Um--look...there's one that looks like a baby rabbit. See the fluffy tail? * Kovu: Yes...hey! There's one that looks like two lions murdering each other for a scrap of meat! * (Kovu laughs; this isn't Kiara's cup of tea, and she grimaces) * Kovu: Ah, I've never done this before. * Kiara: Really? My father and I used to do this all the time. He says that all the great kings of the past are up there. * Kovu: You think Scar is up there? * (They look at each other; Kovu gets up and moves off) * Kovu: He wasn't my father, but he was yet.... (he sighs gently) part of me. * Kiara: My father said that there was a darkness in Scar where he couldn't escape. * Kovu: Perhaps there's a darkness in me as well. * (Kiara puts her paw on Kovu's, and they nuzzle. The camera trucks back, and we see Simba watching from a hill some distance away. He addresses the heavens) * Simba: Father...I am lost. Kovu is one of them. Scar's heir. How can I accept him? * (Nala approaches from behind) * Nala: Simba? * Simba: I was...seeking counsel from the Great Kings. * Nala: Did they help? * Simba: (sighs) Silent as stars. My father would never-- * Nala: Oh, Simba...you want so much to walk the path because of you. Perhaps Kovu does not. * Simba: (surprised) What? How do you know what-- * Nala: (chuckles) I can see them down there just as easily as you can. Get to know him and see. * (She turns and walks off; after a moment of hesitation, Simba follows. Camera moves back down to Kiara and Kovu. She is nuzzling him, but he pulls away, clearing his throat) * Kiara: What's wrong? * Kovu: Nothing. * Kiara: Kovu... * Kovu: It's just that...my entire life I've been trained to... (he stops) Nothing. I gotta go. (turns and walks off) * Kiara: Kovu--wait. * (Kovu pauses a moment, and turns back to Kiara's face, staring back at him; he looks away and moves to continue, but is stopped by Rafiki's finger pointing up from the grass) * Rafiki: And where are you going? * Kovu: N-Nowhere. * Rafiki: (springing up) That's what you think! * (Rafiki slips under Kovu and vanishes in the grass) * Kovu: (confused) Who was that? * Kiara: Uh... (amused, slightly apologetic) friend of the family. * (Kovu turns back and finds Rafiki lying on his back. Rafiki slips off and darts away, tugging Kovu's tail and laughing) * Rafiki: C'mon! You follow old Rafiki; he knows the path! * Kovu: (hesitating) The path where? * Rafiki: You follow---you see that? Hurry now! * Kiara: (giggling) Kovu, c'mon! * (The lions run after Rafiki, who is swinging a Tarzan-like manner from tree to tree and laughing eerily) * Kovu: Where's he taking us? * (Rafiki lowers himself from above their heads) * Rafiki: To a special place in your heart called Upendi! * (He pushes their muzzles together. As he narrates the song, monkeys of various types dance to illustrate it. Hundreds of animals of all kinds surround them, sweeping the lions up in the spirit. The scene takes on the appearance of a Tunnel of Love, with the two lions being swept down a jungle stream with the matchmaking Rafiki orchestrating the atmosphere) * Rafiki: There's a place where the crazy moon makes the monkeys sing and the baboons swoon. And the sultry scent of the lotus bloom will carry you away. Where the hippos swing from the jungle vines and the rhino rhumba in a conga line. And the pink flamingos are intertwined as the stars come out to play. In Upendi, where the passion fruit grows sweet. And it's so divine that you lose your mind as it sweeps off your feet. In Upendi, without a worry or a care. It just takes two to make it true. Your heart will take you there. * Kiara: Where is this? * Rafiki: No place you don't take with you. You better watch your step, 'cause the path is steep. Better hold your breath 'cause the water's deep. It's a long path down over lovers' jump. But falling is half the fun! In Upendi, where the passion fruit grows sweet. And it's so divine that you lose your mind as it sweeps off your feet. In Upendi, without a worry or a care. It just takes two to make it true. Your heart will take you there. You can beat the bush like there's no tomorrow from Tanganyika to Kilimanjaro. But you'll find Upendi wherever you are. Oh, underneath the sun. * Kiara: Upendi--- this means "love", doesn't this? * Rafiki: Welcome to Upendi! * Rafiki and Chorus: In Upendi, where the passion fruit grows sweet. And it's so divine that you lose your mind as it sweeps off your feet. * Kiara and Rafiki: In Upendi, without a worry or a care. It just takes two to make it true. Your heart will take you there. * Kiara: Upendi! * Rafiki, Kiara and Chorus: Down in Upendi. Way down in Upendi! * (The last few lines repeat and fade away. The song ends with Kiara and Kovu yet singing the words "In Upendi". They are alone out on the savannah again)